Wine and Spirits Travel

My last day in St. Martin was filled to the brim, with beach time, great food, and a chance to go on the air. Fellow American  Jeffrey “Soc” Sochrin heard I was in town and asked if I would come down to his radio station and talk a bit about my trip.  I’ve done a little radio and always enjoyed it so I agreed to do it the morning on the day before I was to leave St. Martin. I also decided that as long as I was heading down to Simpson Bay I would check out some other spots in that area on the Dutch side of the island. Jeffrey, who has lived in St. Martin for four years, welcomed me to Island 92 . We had such a good time talking about my travels and my days covering music that I ended up on the air for nearly an hour. His shows are always entertaining and you can listen (and watch the webcam) on his site even if you aren’t in the Caribbean.   Before I left we sampled a little Patron XO Café and he told me about his project, Team Golden Dog , which supports animal wel

It was my first full day in St. Martin and it was packed full of activity. The tourism board for the Dutch side wanted to make sure that we had a good look at all of the island. I started with a good night’s sleep and a great healthy breakfast from the buffet at the Westin Dawn Beach . I sat outside at the Ocean Restaurant to get my first glimpse of the Caribbean Sea before the rest of the group of journalists came down and we piled into the van. We took a scenic ride to Orient Beach on the French side. It was one of the most beautiful Caribbean beaches I have seen and also includes a nude side for those who are so inclined. We had about a half hour to gaze at the turquoise water and I enjoyed every moment of it (along with the near 80 degree weather). We stayed on the French side for a while and got to walk around the town of Marigot, which included stores, French style cafes, and a great market.  The market went for miles and sold jewelry, clothes and even a select

It has been many years since I stepped foot on the island of St. Martin (the common spelling I will be using to keep things simple). I spent the day here while on a cruise around the Caribbean. I vividly remember it being my favorite island on the trip. From the colorful cobblestone streets on the Dutch side ( St. Maarten ) to the unique European-style buildings on the French half (Saint Martin), I had been impressed with the beauty of the towns and the beaches.  I remember strolling the streets and doing some jewelry shopping, as well as relaxing on the soft sand with a cool drink. A lot can change in twenty plus years and I was prepared for that when I decided to take this trip with the tourism board on the Dutch side.  I actually hadn’t done any Caribbean trips since Punta Cana in 2010 and it seemed like the perfect island with lots of restaurants and home grown spirits. It had been a long day of three flights and I was ready to get to the hotel, where Trish, our

After my morning tasting and exploring the North Market , I met Amy Weirick, who works with Experience Columbus . She put together a full day and it started at The Candle Lab in the city’s Short North section. We had time to mix our favorite fragrances into a candle (I choose hot chocolate and marshmallow), and do a little downtown shopping before heading off to lunch. We ate in the German Village, one of the many diverse neighborhoods in this Ohio city. Among the Cobblestone streets and brick houses was Lindey’s , a popular restaurant that was filled to the brim on this weekday. Amy ordered the Tuna Tartar, a favorite of hers, and I enjoyed a Spinach Quiche, that was very good with a hint of bacon. We stayed in the area a bit longer to head over to Pistacia Vera , which means true pistachio in Latin. You will find some pistachio items here, but the focus is all French. Like my favorite stops in Paris, there are macaroons that melt in your mouth, airy croissants and a se

Voli has been an advertiser of Wine And Spirits Travel ever since I met CEO  Adam Kamenstein and  discovered his delicious vodkas at the Food Network's South Beach Wine & Food Festival in 2010 . The Vanilla Espresso is my absolute favorite, but I'm always ready to sip on any of these low calorie, electrolyte-induced vodkas, which include Raspberry Cocoa, Orange Vanilla and Lemon. I am far from alone in touting the taste of Voli as the brand has become rather popular and has picked up some rather high profile fans. First, Pitbull  became a partner in Voli and now  six-time Grammy winner Fergie  is the latest part owner of the brand.  "I'm excited about my new partnership with Voli Light Vodka, a company that understands the modern girl on the go,” said Fergie. “A fit and active lifestyle can now happily co-exist with a sexy night on the town with your girlfriends or your man." The wheat-based low calorie vodkas of Voli made in Cognac, France

My third day in Colorado  was spent tasting a multitude of spirits -- and enjoying more of the state's farm fresh food. I was picked up in the morning by JoAnne Carrelli-Stevenson, who is in charge of the Colorado Distillers Guild . We had a nice talk on our ride through Denver to Leopold Brothers about the growing distilling industry in Colorado , a state which now has 250 beverage producers. She also filled me in on the Great American Beer Festival, which happened to be starting the next day in Denver. I was thinking that I may just have to stop by there, but first it was spirits time. The tour at Leopold Brothers had already started as there was a group of distributors from Kansas I was joining. Todd Leopold took us through the fermentation and distillation process, and into both the bottling and barreling rooms.  This company is one of the few that distribute their products out of state and it’s quite a complex production center as they make a huge variety of prod

I go on a lot of wine country trips, but my Colorado adventure is based on spirits. On day two it was time to get to some serious sampling of what the area had to offer in food and drinks, but first I had some mountains to check out. After a good night’s sleep in my beautifully decorated room at Hotel Boulderado , Kim from Boulder’s visitor’s Bureau picked me up and we headed up to Chautauqua Park . It was a clear and warm day and she told me about this beautiful place as we walked the trail. I honestly could have spent the day in the fresh Rocky Mountain air, but I had a job to do and the first course of business was at Boulder Distillery & Clear Spirit Company. Boulder Distillery is just a bit bigger than most garages, yet you would not believe all the spirits that come out of there. They are most known for their 303 Vodka which is “infused” on the premises with seasonal ingredients. The Colorado liquor laws actually allow for distilleries to not only serve sample

I’ve been trying to remember how long it’s been since I’ve been to Colorado . I don’t think I’ve been there as an adult, but my memories from childhood are definitely good ones. My family and I frequently drove around the country and though we took various routes so we could see as much as possible, I seem to remember that we always went through Colorado. I know the mountains are beautiful and the air fresh and clean, but I was racking my brain for awhile trying to figure out why it was my father always made Colorado a must stop. Then, I arrived and it hit me the minute I saw it. Coors beer. You see, years ago, you couldn’t get Coors in New York. It was only available “west of the Rockies” and the Rockies were in Colorado. As much as my dad loved to drive through the Rockies, he also loved a good beer once in awhile and that’s why our yearly cross-country trip would almost always include Colorado! Beer was only a small consideration in my trip to Colorado. The big dra